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Dallas Stars center Jason Dickinson (16) celebrates his game-winning goal as he falls to the ice in overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, in Washington. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

In this foray into the world of numbers that look fancy but are really just basic arithmetic, I wanted to see how good of a start Miro Heiskanen is really off to using information collected at Corsica. That was fun and all, and we'll get to that eventually. I expected Heiskanen to come out of the gate strong. The more fascinating revelations are always those that are unexpected.

This jump into some underlying numbers has some incredibly fortuitous timing because several of the Dallas Stars younger players are performing very well at even strength. One of those players is Jason Dickinson, scorer of the Stars' overtime game winning goal in their 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals Saturday night in Washington, D.C.

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Dickinson has a few data points going his way that make you wonder if he's turning that corner into being a quality NHL player. Prior to last night's game Dickinson was third among Stars forwards in primary points (no secondary assists) per hour behind Alex Radulov and Tyler Seguin.

He's doing that in fourth line minutes where the offensive opportunity is limited, at best. Jim Montgomery and his staff have made efforts to get Jason Spezza and his line on the ice for offensive zone faceoffs with a good portion of the remaining ones going to the Tyler Seguin unit. Everyone else is starting in their own end. Roope Hintz failed in his initial NHL run for a number of reasons, but starting primarily in the defensive zone probably didn't help the cause.

In that context his offensive start is even more impressive. He and his own are having to work that much extra to get into the offensive zone to create offense, and they're doing it. With him on the ice the Stars are a 46% Corsi team, but with only 34% of his faceoffs coming in the offensive zone of the rink that isn't an alarming number.

What's impressive is that the action happening with him on the ice is happening because he is driving the offense.

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The baby "i" in these stats indicates that these are individual to the player instead of with him just on the ice. Dickinson is fourth in individual shot attempts per hour at even strength, or first among guys not getting 15+ minutes per night together in a happy three man unit of offensive dominance.

Dickinson can be better. The expected goal total is lagging a bit behind his other numbers because he isn't getting in terribly close for his shots. Dickinson tends to come down the right wing side and drop into the high slot for shots. That's fine, but to score at a consistent level he's going to need to prove to be an adept shooter or get in closer for his chances. Hockeyviz data shows how the offense looks with him out there versus when he isn't out there.

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The offense as a whole generates more high volume areas, but they get to the net significantly better without him on the ice thus far. If he gets in just a few feet closer his expected goals and points in general are more likely to remain viable.

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His individual shot location map paints the picture even more clearly. Dickinson only has two shots from the real prime scoring area at even strength this season. He has a few shots close to the area, but he isn't getting to the net consistently.

What he is doing is getting close enough to cause some chaos with a quality shot that should occasionally lead to some rebounds for linemates to pick up for goals. Theoretically that would mean Brett Ritchie, who has been on the ice for almost an hour with Dickinson this year per Natural Stat Trick, but in reality that hasn't happened yet as Ritchie only has eight shots in 11 games.

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Defensively the Stars have been better with him on the ice, too, despite how often he's starting in the defensive zone. Given the tough zone starts you might expect the Stars to get railed with him on the ice.

They aren't.

Teams are shooting from the half-boards and from the point more with Dickinson on the ice. They're firing a lot from the right wing side and the higher end of the slot, but the front of the net is largely being protected quite a bit better with him on the ice than not.

I'm not going to make a potentially silly looking prediction about how the season is going to turn out for Dickinson at this time, but through the first month it looks suspiciously like he is taking his game to the next level by breaking out. Quick math expanding five points in eleven games over a full season tells me that he's on pace to close to 40 points while getting ten minutes of ice time per night with inconsistent linemates, few offensive zone opportunities, and limited powerplay time.

Half of Dickinson's career points have come in this eleven game stretch. If the coaching staff begins trusting him with more powerplay time and more time at even strength Dickinson might look like an integral part of the 2019 team and a major part of future clubs when all is said and done.

His development would be a major advance for a franchise that has taken a sometimes fair and sometimes unwarranted beating for their ability to develop young players. If he continues to push forward the franchise and player deserve a lot of credit for his new found roster security.